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Kindred Spirits

“We danced too wild, and we sang too long, and we hugged too hard, and we kissed too sweet, and howled just as loud as we wanted to howl, because by now we were all old enough to know that what looks like crazy on an ordinary day looks a lot like love if you catch it in the moonlight.” ― Pearl Cleage My sweet friend, Janie, posted this yesterday on FB. She dedicated it to our circle of friends. We call ourselves the Kindred Spirits. It is a perfect name. It describes how we feel about each other. We live all over the country and outside the country. Unless we are mated, none of us live near one another. We met through a mutual teacher and started sharing housing when we attended workshops. We noticed how well we lived together, sharing sleeping spaces, meals, free time and responsibilities with a grace and ease that seemed unusual for a fairly large group. There are ten of us. We were having such a good time together we wanted to see each other more often and without the time and responsibilities of a workshop so we organized a Kindred Spirits Retreat. We all gathered at the home of one of our group near the beach for a week of sharing and fun. It was like heaven for me to be in this safe circle of loving friends. The first K.S. retreat was two years ago. We had a second one last year in the mountains which included lots of hikes as well as great multi-hands bodywork. Did I mention we are all CranioSacral therapists? The multi-hands bodywork is an amazing opportunity to dive deep and do some soul-searching. We hold one another with such a neutral loving presence the work is always life enhancing. The poem that I began this piece with describes our playtime well. This group of humans is like a pack of wild animals. We have bonded in a way that feels like family and for life. There is a level of safety inherent in our bonding which allows not only deep bodywork and sacred ceremony but also wild abandon. We can reveal any part of ourselves and never fear judgment. We can dance naked in the moonlight, roll around on the floor like puppies in a pile, or sing badly and it’s always okay. These are the sisters and brothers of my heart. I suspect we are a soul group that has reunited in this lifetime having spent many lifetimes together. I don’t doubt that we found one another through divine guidance and our mission is to energetically support and hold the individuals and the group. We have individual dreams and visions that are strengthened by the support of the whole. My vision of Mountain Valley Retreat is being held by my Kindred Spirits as I hold their dreams in my heart. Perhaps we are unknowingly creating a group’s vision that goes beyond our occasional retreats. That seems hard to grasp given the miles that separate us…and I know that time and space mean nothing in the realm of Spirit.